Jan 30, 2012: Work Out & Weigh In

I had a long day at work.  It wasn't bad, just long.  I could have easily stayed until 10pm to try and fool myself thinking I could get caught up with paperwork, but I managed to get out of work on time so that I could make my appointment with my trainer and to weigh in.  The results are in: 209 on the gym scale.  That was less than I expected.  I believe I weighed in at 212 on my home scale.  I will take a morning weight for comparison as well.  So there's the number.  I will file that away as I refuse to let the scale consume my thoughts during this process.  After my morning weigh in, the scale will be put away for two weeks.

All in all, I don't feel too bad about the little bit of weight I gained back.  I weigh the same as I did when I started at the gym.  And that is still a notable & permanent 33-36 lb loss since August 2010.  Now with a renewed commitment, I hope to keep up on my exercise routine and start to feel better physically.  I was a little stressed after work.  There were just too many things on my "to do" list and not enough time to do it all.  When I workout, however, I usually tend to feel better, at least after I have started exercising (not the part where I have to actually get my body there and get on a machine).

I always had the idea in my head that exercise in the workplace would help decrease stress and improve worker productivity.  I ran across this article, which I almost hesitated to share: Exercise Linked to Reduced Worker Productivity  "Researchers examined 2,823 workers in Minnesota to see how physical activity affected their stress level as well as their productivity. They found workers with higher body-mass index (BMI) worked less, regardless of any other factors."  Boy, that does not bode well for those of us with a high BMI!  That stung just a little.  I wonder what the significance level was and how productivity was defined in the actual research.  "...after adjusting for BMI, the study revealed that workers with a high level of stress who also had a high level of physical activity were significantly less productive. On the other hand, physical activity did not result in as big a drop in productivity among workers with little stress."  The authors wrote, "This may indicate that some individuals essentially cope with high levels of stress by exercising more and working less."  They also concluded that "stress management is "at least as economically relevant" to encouraging good health and productivity among workers as other lifestyle factors".  (SOURCE: American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, news release, Oct. 4, 2011, as cited by Healthfinder.gov.)  So in other words, exercise does not cause reduced worker productivity, as the title might lead one to think.  But it clearly makes a case for the importance of reducing stress and encouraging good health, at least from an economic perspective.  

And here's another quick article/summary of some recent research on the importance of sleep and other factors as they relate to health and weight loss: Less Stress, Better Sleep May Help You Lose Weight.  Some notable preliminary conclusions:  1.)  People are more likely to lose weight when not impeded by sleep deprivation, stress or depression.  2.)  Managing stress is about physical health, as well as mental health. 3.) People of normal weight eat more when they sleep less. 4.) Improving sleep may be as important to lasting weight control efforts as modifying diet or exercise.  5.) Weight loss should be approached from a holistic context. 

I am convinced that I really need to start working on improving my sleep habits.  And speaking of sleep, it's getting late so I'm signing off for the evening.  Here's to good health & a good night's sleep! 

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